UK condemns renewed fighting in South Sudan

May 14, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – The United Kingdom (UK) said it was extremely concerned by renewed fighting in South Sudan’s Unity and Upper Nile states which targeted civilians and their properties.

UK’s minister for African affairs, James Duddridge, said those responsible for the intensification of fighting and the subsequent atrocities must be brought to book.

“The ongoing military offensive in Unity state and reports of fighting in Upper Nile state are breaches of the cessation of hostilities agreement that both parties have committed to and contravene UN Security Council resolution 2206,” Duddridge said in a statement on Thursday.

“Those responsible must be held to account,” he said.

This came days after the African Union (AU) condemned the fresh clashes and called on the international community to impose sanctions on South Sudan if the warring parties fail to reach a peaceful settlement to the civil war.

The United States embassy in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, on Tuesday also blamed president Salva Kiir’s government for starting the renewed fighting in Unity state.

UK called on president Kiir’s government and opposition leader, Riek Machar, to ensure that humanitarian actors, personnel working for the United Nations (UN) and monitors of the cessation of hostilities agreement are allowed full access.

“I call on South Sudan’s leaders to immediately end all hostilities and redouble their efforts to secure peace for the people of South Sudan,” he said.

Tens of thousands of people have died and 2 million others have been displaced in the past 17 months of the conflict.

(ST)